How Things Change, No3, How Not to Arrange A Party
by Shadow-StrikeRaven
Summary: Merlin and Arthur head out to the druids, to get more information of the Brotherhood of the High Priestess, leaving Gwaine behind. But if Merlin thinks not being there will stop Gwaine from throwing a, traditionally a total failure, birthday celebration for him, He couldn't be more wrong... Third episode style fanfic in the series
1. Chapter 1

Arthur opened his eyes and sat up, his head clearer than it had been in some time. Gwen stirred next to him, and he moved gently so as not to wake her. His feeling of contentment left as quickly as it had come, as he recalled the event of the previous day. Arthur sighed. He hadn't seen Merlin since he had left them upon their return to Camelot, and, if truth be told, he was more than a little worried. The look on Merlin's face, when he had discovered that Arthur had not fully trusted him, still sent guilty shivers through his head, but he had no time to think on it further as a familiar triple knock sounded from the door.  
"Enter…"  
Merlin stepped in, holding a breakfast tray.  
"Sire." Merlin's voice was expressionless, but before Arthur could say anything, he caught sight of a small bulge under the sleeve of his shoulder. A bandage. He held his tongue until Merlin had settled the try down, then held out a hand to stop him from turning.  
"Merlin… How are you feeling?"  
"Fine…"  
"Just fine?"  
"Well what do you want me to say Arthur?" His voice was low, so as not to wake Gwen, "That I don't mind fighting for you, battle after battle, enemy after enemy, all for you to say that it means nothing to you? Well I can't…"  
"Of course it means something to me. It means a lot to me. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you completely before. But I do now. I should have from the start."  
Merlin didn't meet his gaze, and finished placing the plates on the table, picking up the tray. He turned to go, but Arthur blocked his way.  
"Merlin…"  
"Arthur?" Gwen's voice stopped what he was going to say. "Merlin? What…" Merlin stepped around Arthur, bowing slightly to Gwen with a small grin,  
"Morning m'lady."  
"Morning…" Gwen's voice still held the dullness of sleep, but she still looked between the two, picking up that something had happened. Before she could comment, however, Merlin had virtually run across the room, and the door closed behind him with a small thud. Gwen turned to Arthur, her eyebrows raised,  
"Well?"  
"I think I've got a lot of work to do…"  
"But he will listen. And it won't take long. That's what he does after all… Putting up with you is in his job description…"

Merlin closed the door, in Gaius' rooms, and leant against it, sighing. He turned to Alice, who had turned as he had come in,  
"If I'd have known that dealing with an ass was in the job description…"  
"Ah, you'll figure things out…" she said, a smile on her face. The smile widened when Gaius walked into the room, and Merlin shook his head at the boyish smile that Gaius responded with.  
He had up to his room, feeling tired, and flopped down on the bed, not bothering to kick his boots off. He felt himself drifting off as soon as his head it the pillow.

A few hours later, and Merlin stirred to voices. Yawning, he sat up, and heard Gaius's voice.  
"I'm afraid that the wound he sustained and the energy and magic he has spent since have taken more out of him that he is admitting."  
"Yes… That is like him."  
Merlin snapped awake properly, as he recognised Arthur's voice, and he got to his feet. Heading down the stairs, he was just in time to see Arthur's cape vanish around the corner as Gaius sat onto the bench.  
"Gaius?" He asked, worried by the stillness of the old man. Gaius turned,  
"Merlin… I didn't realise you were awake. You should sleep…"  
"I've only just woken up… Heard your voices. What happened?"  
"Arthur arrested Alice… He didn't have a choice I guess…"  
Merlin's face hardened.  
"Well then. Time for me to do what I always do. Make the idiot see sense."  
"And how well does that normally work Merlin?"  
"It will this time." Merlin's face was stubborn as he walked out. He head down the stairs and caught up with Arthur halfway down the staircase.

"Arthur!"  
"Merlin... Gaius said you were sleeping…"  
"Well, I was. Until I heard you idiots traipsing in and arresting someone you had no business arresting."  
"I don't really have a choice. She escaped Camelot once…"  
"Yes. And she came back… Do you want to know why?"  
"Merlin… I can't do anything…"  
"Yes you can. Anyway, your conscious will be clear because she only has a few weeks to live anyway." Merlin's voice had gone low, and he glanced up the stairs. "She came back because she wanted to do something good with what time she has left."  
"Merlin…"  
"She saved my life Arthur. She gave up enough energy to shorten her life even more… and if she hadn't, I wouldn't be here." He leaned against the wall, making Arthur stop his descent too. "I owe her my life Arthur. I have to do something… so I'm asking you. Let her go. She won't harm anybody. She was under a creatures control last time… she had no choice in what she was doing."  
"She still did it…"  
"And he never did any lasting damage…"  
"Thanks to you I assume?"  
"… That's beside the point. Arthur, she isn't going to hurt anyone. Trust me. Please…"  
Arthur stood still, for several moments, then turned to Merlin, sighing.  
"You can assure me of that?"  
Merlin didn't hesitate before saying,  
"Yes. Come on… look, I won't even take my birthday off this year…"  
Arthur sighed, shaking his head.  
"Very well. But I want a formal apology, and no complaining when I forget your birthday."  
Merlin grinned, pulling Arthur into a hug.  
"You got it."  
Arthur pulled out of the hug, slightly bemused,  
"So… I guess this means we're good…?" This caused Merlin to sigh, and then grin, shrugging.  
"Yeah… It's not like I can stay mad forever…"

Alice had pulled him into a hug the moment the door had been opened, and Merlin had nearly been knocked off of his feet with the enthusiasm of it.  
"Thank you Merlin… You shouldn't have done that though… What if…"  
"What if what? What was I gonna do? Let you rot away in here?"  
The formal apology had only taken place in front of Arthur, Merlin, Leon and Gwaine, and the two knights had been all for it, having been there when she was helping Merlin.  
Merlin had shoved away Gaius' thanks, feeling awkward, and had escaped from the rooms, heading down to where Gwaine and Bedivere were on duty.  
They had seemed very into a conversation about the druid woman that Bedivere had met, and Merlin had crept closer, listening it, until he was stood directly behind them.  
"You know…" he said, making them both jump and turn, tumbling over themselves to try and draw their swords. Merlin couldn't continue, and fell against the wall, laughing at the panicked expressions on their faces. As they tried to scowl, he burst into a fresh round of laughter, which took a long time to fade, all the time, the two were glaring at him, trying not to laugh themselves. Merlin calmed down enough to finish what he was saying,

"You now, if you really like her, a word from me I probably a quite high commendation…"  
Bedivere's face lit up so much that it was almost comical.  
"Really…? I mean… but she's a druid… they probably have all kinds of… traditions and things…"  
"Well… I was thinking of asking Arthur to head out there anyway… They were looking into the brotherhood, and we need to know all we can about them…"  
"Then why did you come down here?" Gwaine asked,  
"Well… Arthurs having lunch with Gwen… And you know what he can be like if he is interrupted…"  
"Especially seeing as you pulled one hell of a job earlier with Alice," Gwaine added, "Nice going by the way. I like her. She's got… Pow…"  
"Pow?" Bedivere and Merlin had spoken in unison, eyebrow raised. Gwaine just shrugged and Merlin shook his head.  
"Alright then… Yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to come down and remind You, Gwaine, that I want no failed attempt at a party this year. I old Arthur I wouldn't take the day off, and I've no doubt he took it seriously…"  
"What? But my party planning is great!"  
"Last year, you got completely drunk, nearly burned down the tavern, got into three fights, lost one, not realising that it was Leon you were fighting, and ran up a tab so huge, I was left cleaning boots with you, again, every evening, for three weeks."  
"Like I said. Great."  
Bedivere had started laughing at the memory, and Gwaine seemed to be reminiscing about it. Merlin spotted Leon and Tristan heading over to take over their post, and shook his head at the bemused expressions on their faces.  
"Don't ask…" he warned them, and head off, up into the castle.

He arrived just as two servants were clearing away the plates and dishes. He knocked on the door, and stepped inside, shuffling out of the way of one of the servants. The sudden dodge caused her to drop one of the plates, and Merlin reacted instinctively, using magic to send it back onto the pile.  
"Thanks…" the girl said, smiling.  
"No problem," Merlin grinned, moving out of the way for the other girl. Turning, he saw a strange expression on Arthur's face.  
"What?"  
"Nothing… just that it's strange how normal that is…"  
Gwen shrugged, grinning, and got up.  
"I have to get going Arthur…" she said, moving around the table and giving him a kiss as he got to his feet, "I'll see you later. See ya Merlin…"  
"'Okay Gwen…" he replied, and she left the room.  
Arthur sat back down, and gestured for Merlin to do the same. Merlin sat next to him, slouching forward onto the table.  
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Arthur asked, and Merlin raised an eyebrow.  
"You listen to Gaius too much. I'm fine. Actually, I want to ask something…"  
"Another something?" Arthurs solemn expression changed to a grin as Merlin's eyebrows rose, "Sure. What is it this time. You better not be changing your mind about your birthday…"  
"Nope… though if you agree, there won't be much chance of that. I was thinking that we should visit the druids. We need to know more about the Brotherhood… Especially after… recent events."  
Arthur considered this.  
"You've got a point… But we can't leave Camelot for too long a stretch of time…"  
"I was thinking a few days. Two days there, two back… Spend one there and set up camp before returning. Back inside of a week… We can always leave Gwaine here…"  
"Because you don't want him doing some ridiculous birthday event?"  
"… Maybe a little." Merlin admitted, grinning, and Arthur nodded slowly.  
"I agree. We need to know more. Hopefully the druids will have more information. We can take a small group. Me, you, Tristan and Leon…"  
"Actually, Maybe Bedivere instead of Leon… We need someone responsible here after all…"  
Arthur glanced at him, showing he knew there was something more to it, but let it slide,  
"Okay. The four of us?"  
"And Kaden?"  
Arthur hesitated slightly, but nodded.  
"Sure. Get everyone together. Well leave tomorrow morning."

Gwaine watched the small group ride out of the courtyard with an evil smile on his face. If Merlin thought this would get him out of a birthday celebration, he was wrong. Leon saw the look on his face and groaned, inwardly. This was going to be an interesting few days…


	2. Chapter 2

Percival was too slow to notice everyone else sidling away, and when he finally looked up, it was too late.  
"Hey Perc..."  
"Gwaine…" Percival realised he was in trouble. For the past few years, Gwaine had grabbed hold of a couple of the other knights and arranged a birthday celebration for Merlin. Thing was, they always failed. Dramatically. Merlin used to put up with it, but now that everyone knew he had magic, Percival was sure that whoever helped Gwaine out would end up as a toad… or worse…  
"How do you feel about helping me to arrange Merlin's birthday thing this year?"  
"Gee Gwaine… I'd love to, but I have to… I mean, Leon will tell you why I can't… Won't you Leon."  
"Err" Leon tried to act as though he knew what he was talking about, but hey could all see that Gwaine was having none of it. Leon tried, none-the-less.  
"You see… Percival was, well, It's kinda hard to explain… but Johan volunteered to help you…"  
"What!" Johan's voice was heard over the far side of the courtyard, where Gwen was talking to an old friend of her. Excusing herself, she made her way over, grinning at the indignant expression on Gwaine's face.  
"Gwaine?"  
He stopped talking and turned to her,  
"Yes m'lady?"  
"How about I help you out a bit?"  
Gwaine's face lit up, and Leon looked between them.  
"Fine," Leon said, "But Gwaine is not going to try and pin this one on me this year. And if you get Merlin scrubbing boots again, he will most likely hang you upside down from a balcony. Or lock you in a room somewhere…"  
"Or zip his mouth shut?" Called Johan, shorty followed by Percival,  
"Or ban him from the Tavern… Till next year…"  
A chorus of Oohs went up, and Gwaine scowled. Gwen stifled a smile as she took his arm and pulled him inside.  
"Right," she said, "Here is what we are going to do…."

Merlin held up is hand and jumped down from his horse. Arthur was next to him in a second.  
"What's up?"  
"Bandits… I've never seen them in this area of the woods before." Kaden trotted his horse over.  
"Camp is about 200 feet to out left. They left at first light…"  
"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, curious,  
"Merlin's been showing me some things…" he said, self-consciously. He was well known as a quiet person, and he only ever seemed animated when he returned from a trip to the forest with Merlin and a few others. Now Arthur knew why.  
"Well, He's taught you well… Any sign of them near?" This was to both Merlin and Kaden, but it was Merlin who replied.  
"I don't think so… But it's hard to be sure. Someone has masked their trail with magic… We'd better keep an eye out from here on…"  
They mounted their horses again, and Arthur let the other three pull in front as he waited for Merlin to finish scanning the area fully. Merlin found no lingering traces of magic, and turned, finding a small grin on Arthur's face.  
"What is it?"  
"Just wondering when I started to let you take charge…"  
Merlin shook his head, laughing, and turning his horse to follow the others, Arthur right behind him.  
"Me? Take charge? Not likely… I'm just here to offer a… forcefully helpful viewpoint slash opinion…"  
"Must be the nicest way of saying take charge attitude I've ever heard…"  
"Straight from the person who brought you clot-pole…"  
Bedivere's voice echoed back to them,  
"And Dollop-head…"  
Arthur laughed,  
"Yeah… And no doubt we'll hear something new sometime soon…"

They continued on for nearly two hours, when Arthur called a halt.  
"It's getting dark. We had better make camp. If we leave at first light, we can reach the druids by mid-day."  
"Or," Merlin said, "We could all get a half decent sleep, leave mid-morning, and reach the druids mid-afternoon… Why is it always the break of dawn with you?"  
"Because it seems to irritate you…"  
"No, seriously…"  
"Yeah. Seriously. Fine, but you're taking first watch…"  
"You got it…"  
Half an hour later, and Merlin had a stew simmering over a small fire, and was teaching Kaden the best way to cover your tracks.  
"So, you see," Merlin explained, using magic to cover their tracks with leaves, "It hides the tracks and makes it appear natural. Also means you don't have to waste energy on shielding everything."  
"What about camps? How would you shield them?" Kaden seemed generally intrigued, and Merlin couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.  
"Well, the leaf idea works with the fire, though you could use some rocks of mud to complete the cover. As for clothing or other small items, I use a small spell to make them flick from one place to another." Merlin suddenly grinned, wickedly, "For example…" he said, turning to Arthur. Bedivere was watching him with interest, and grinned as he realised what Merlin was planning. He whispered to Tristan, and they both head over to the horses.  
Merlin murmured a spell, and Arthur's cloak, which he had just laid on the floor, got swept underneath an old log on the floor. He had also thrown own a rolled up mat behind him, and it went sailing into the saddle-bags again.  
Merlin made himself look busy as Arthur turned, and barely managed to hide his laughter at the confused expression that covered his face. Kaden had to ace the opposite direction to hide his grin and the two knights were silently laughing as Arthur got the mat from the bags again. He lay it down on the floor, and then span around, obviously looking for his cloak. His expression went to one of incredulity and he looked suspiciously at Merlin, who had just managed to turn in time to hide his grin.  
"Merlin!" Merlin composed his face, and turned around,  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you know anything about where my cloak has gone?"  
"No… Are you telling me that you lost a bright red cloak in a dull, brown forest?"  
"Well…" Arthur now looked more confused than ever, and luckily didn't see the two knights, who were clutching their ribs, laughing silently.  
"Look… Do you really want me to tell you where your cloak is?" Merlin asked, whilst gently moving it, with hand gestures, towards Arthur, keeping his face straight.  
"Well… Yes!" Arthur now looked more confused and frustrated than ever, and Merlin sighed just as the cloak fell lightly onto Arthurs shoulders.  
"You're wearing it Sire…"  
"Look, I think I would know if I was…"  
Merlin dropped the cloak onto his shoulders, and Arthur turned, bewildered, just as the Bedivere, Tristan and Kaden burst out laughing. Arthur turned to glare, but it was such an indignant look that Merlin started laughing too, and after a few moments, Arthur grinned.  
"Really mature Merlin."  
Merlin slumped down against a tree, still laughing lightly, and called over to Kaden.  
"And that is how you hide small items…"

Darkness settled quickly over the small camp, and Tristan and Kaden had nodded off shortly after eating. Merlin had down to the small stream nearby to wash things out and get fresh water. He turned as he heard footfalls behind him and Bedivere crouched down to help him collect water.  
"Merlin? I've just wondered, why do you do this… well, these kind of things, by hand? When you could do them with magic?" Merlin considered this, as he got to his feet, and shrugged.  
"I dunno… Habit… Trying to regain a sense of normality in my life. After all, if you can do everything with magic, where's the fun?"  
"Filling water skins is fun?"  
"No… but it's more fun than doing it with magic… That would get boring after a while…"  
"Fair enough…"  
Bedivere took the water skin from Merlin and put them into the saddle bags, keeping three out for himself, Merlin and Arthur. Arthur caught the skin and sank down against a tree.  
"Damn… I'm actually tired."  
"Yeah… well it's been a hell of a few days." Merlin replied, flopping down next to him.  
"So why did you want to go to the druids now? I mean, we could have done with some time to recuperate…" Bedivere asked.  
"Well… The magic that the sorcerers used on Arthur was powerful. Very powerful. And if they have many people with that kind of ability, the sooner we know the better. Easier to put safeguards in place that way." Merlin replied, then frowned.  
"Plus I really want to know more about their leader, if the druids have found anything. Something felt… strange about him…"  
"Strange?" Arthur looked interested. "Why?"  
"I don't know… Just strange…" Merlin shrugged. "Ah well, hopefully the druids will have been able to gather more information…"  
Arthur yawned, and lay back onto his cloak,  
"Well, that's tomorrow. For now, I'm sleeping. You still okay to keep watch Merlin?"  
"Yup."  
"Good. Wake me in four hours…"  
"Actually Sire, I can keep the next watch. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep anyway…" Bedivere said, and Arthur nodded.  
"Okay then…"

He was asleep in moments and Bedivere shuffled around closer to the, now almost dead, fire. Merlin muttered a spell and the flames increased, sending warmth into the clearing.  
"Thanks," Bedivere said, grinning, then laid out his cloak, lying on top of it.  
"You sure you're okay to take the watch? Gaius said you needed to rest after…"  
"I'll be fine. Jeez… I'll wake you in a few hours…"  
"Alright then…"  
A few moments later, and Bedivere's breathing had slowed to a steady rhythm. Merlin lay on his back and stared through the canopy to the stars. He hadn't felt this good in quite a while… And he was excited about seeing Archie again. Hopefully the druids had been able to put him to good use… Merlin slipped into an in between state. Not asleep, but his body was resting, even as he was aware of everything around him. It was something that Aglain, the old druid, had taught him. It was very helpful when the body was healing too, which explained why he had healed from the after effects of his wounds so quickly.  
He stayed this way for quite some time, and only wrested himself away from the peaceful state after about three hours. The reason for this was that something was wrong. He couldn't be sure what, but something just felt wrong… Staying down, he opened his mind and detected something over the far side of the clearing. Delving deeper, he felt eleven people, shielded by magic. They were not focused on him, but rather on something dangerous they had just come from. Merlin got, silently, to his feet and made his way towards the group. As he got closer, he heard their veiled whispers. They were talking about the knights in the clearing behind him.  
"Look… we can just walk up to them in the middle of the night and wake them up. Is crazy… why would they be able to help anyway?"  
"They may know where Emrys can be found…" Was the response, then a voice piped up, a voice that was very familiar.  
"Merlin is at Camelot…" Archie said, quietly.  
"Yes," came the first voice, "and from what we heard, he has recently sustained a very dangerous wound. He would hardly be up and about now, would he?"  
Merlin stepped forward and spoke up,  
"Actually, Yes I would be… and it's not nice to whisper…"

The faces all turned towards him, and the expressions ranged from shock to relief.  
"Merlin!" Archie got up and ran towards him, wrapping his arms around him. "We were just heading to Camelot… Why are you out here?"  
"Actually, We were just heading for you guys… Why are you this far out at night?"  
The first speaker got to his feet, and Merlin recognised him as a Druid.  
"Emrys… It is an honour to meet you… As for why we are here… a small encampment near to our people's main settlement was attacked several hours ago. We managed to get away… but everyone else was…"  
"Merlin!" Arthur's voice was loud amongst the mutterings and Merlin turned to see him, Tristan, Bedivere and Kaden coming up behind him, swords drawn. Arthur lowered his sword at the sight of Archie and sent a questioning look at Merlin.  
"A druid settlement was attacked several hours ago…" Merlin explained, and Arthur and the other sheathed their weapons.  
"Who attacked them?" Arthur asked, and Merlin shrugged,  
"That's what I want to find out…"


	3. Chapter 3

Gwaine grinned as he thought over Gwen's plans. Unlike before, she had planned to have something in the Castle, not the tavern, and Gwaine was looking forward to it. There would be ale, of course, and a feast. Gwen's reasoning was that there was one long overdue, and what better way to do it than to surprise Merlin. Gwaine was also surprised at the eagerness of the knights… they had always been very avoidant of his birthday celebration planning. Leon had eagerly got involved with arranging the different guests, probably due to the novelty of inviting a variety of Sorcerers and Magic users. Merlin's friend, Taren, had got a group together and they had planned to decorate the entire interior of the hall with a forest like scene, including wild flowers, leaves, the image of daylight poking through a canopy and even live birds. Guinevere had been very supportive of this, and had insisted on seeing an example. Her delighted laughter had rung through the entire room as a corner of the hall had come alive with the sight and sounds of a forest.  
Gwaine thought back to this and grinned. Merlin had only been gone two days, but this was looking to be the best birthday celebration yet… Of course, he figured, there would have to be more ale than Gwen had planned to provide…

Merlin sat, his face still, as he thought over what they had been told. Arthur was still talking to the druids, but Merlin had got all the information he needed.  
A small druid settlement, no more than 150 strong, had been attacked several hours earlier. The attackers came in droves, more than enough to equal the numbers of the druids. Being a peaceful people, they had not been able to hold them back for long, but it had been long enough for a few to escape. About 50 of the women and children had scattered into the woods, but the men and some of the older boys had stayed to try and buy them more time. Archie had been among their number. He had held out for several minutes, but the numbers and strength of the attacker's magic had proved too much. Many had been killed in the ensuing fight, and only the few in their small group had got away. They knew nothing of the others who had left before, but had been able to identify who had attacked them. The small badge, that one of the men had managed to snatch from the cloak of one of the invaders, -a crest of Camelot with the symbol of the high priestess' carved over its face, had shown them to be the Brotherhood.  
Merlin sat, thinking this over, until he felt a small hand on his shoulder.  
"Merlin?" It was Archie. The young boy sat next to him, resting his head on Merlin's shoulder. "I think I killed someone in the fight… before… I threw him back with magic and he didn't move… What if I killed him…?"  
Merlin looked at his panicked face, and gave him a small squeeze.  
"Listen to me Archie. It's hard to know that you might have killed someone… It's even harder to know that you definitely killed someone. But trust me… The first time I killed someone, I felt the same as I'm sure you are feeling. It hurts… but after a while, you will realise that you had no choice. That it was necessary. Do not let regret, guilt and self-doubt stop you from doing whatever is necessary." Merlin had had never risen above a low whisper, and Archie nodded as he thought about it.  
"He was going to kill me… I had to do it… It was me or him…"  
"And you did fine Archie. You defended yourself. You may not have meant to kill him, but even if you did, it was in self-defence."  
"But does the hurting stop?" Merlin felt heat rise in him at the slight waver in Archie's voice, but he didn't let it show on his face.  
"I can't say Archie… I don't know. With me, it has never really gone away. But the fact that I did it for those I care about is enough to let me put it to the back of my mind."  
He smiled down at the young boy and got to his feet,  
"What you did was very brave Arch… I'm proud of you. Now get some sleep. I'll wake you in the morning…"  
Archie was asleep within minutes and Merlin felt a sharp flow of heat searing through him. He realised he was angrier than he had been in a long time. The druids were peaceful. To attack them… and to make them kill and maim… To have made a 12 year old like Archie have to kill someone… To have attacked a settlement full of women and children… The more Merlin thought about it, the angrier he felt. These were his people. He had never before realised how much of a protective streak he had for the druids, but it showed now.  
Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Arthur. He instinctively took a step back at the expression on Merlin's face.  
"Merlin…"  
"They attacked them." Merlin's voice was low, and Arthur was shocked at the darkness in it. "The attacked a settlement of peaceful people. Women and children… who have never harmed anyone. They made it necessary for Archie to have to kill someone… He is a child Arthur… They attacked my people… To get to me."  
As Merlin said the last words, he realised that he had known this all along, and it made him hate them even more.  
"They can't get away with this…"  
Merlin looked into the Kings eyes, and saw the same resolution there as he felt.  
"They won't. Merlin? They won't. I promise you…"  
Merlin nodded, then turned and head towards the trees.  
"Where are you going?"  
"To lash out at something… preferably bandits or some other bad guys, though I can't get my hopes up…"  
"Merlin…?"  
"I'm joking. I just need to… go…"  
"Okay…"

Arthur watched Merlin' retreating form and felt his shock give way to anger. To have Merlin this angry… Merlin, the most amiable person he knew… It was just… wrong. He heard someone come up behind him, and turned to see Bedivere, looking towards where Merlin had disappeared, with a worried expression.  
"Is he okay?"  
"I don't think so… He's… Well, angry isn't the word. He cares a lot for these people… his people… To see them suffering… I know what it feels like."  
"Then maybe you should talk to him Sire. Anger isn't something Merlin is used to feeling…"  
"Well what can I do?"  
"You're his friend. Just being there could be enough. It always seemed to be enough for you…"  
Arthur was about to reply when he thought it over, then nodded.  
"Yeah… I guess it was… Will you be okay here?"  
"Sure. The druids are getting some sleep. Tristan has said he will return to Camelot with them tomorrow."  
"Okay… I won't be too long."  
"Take a long as you like Sire. Nothing happening here."  
"Don't jinx it…" Arthur called, running in the direction Merlin had taken. He vanished into the trees and Bedivere turned to Tristan.  
"He may be a fine king, but he has a little to learn about friendship…"

"Merlin!" Arthurs voice wasn't loud enough to reach the others, but he got a response from over to his left.  
"Over here…"  
Arthur jogged over in the general direction of the voice and spotted Merlin, sat next to the small stream.  
"Didn't realise you could get so far in so little time…" Arthur said, sitting next to him and leaning on a rock.  
"Neither did I…" Merlin replied, staring at the water. His face had such a look of concentration that Arthur looked as well.  
"What you looking at?"  
"Wait and see… I'm hoping they will come…"  
"Who will come?"  
Before Merlin could reply, a light music filled the air, and droplets stared to rise from the water. Arthur went to draw his sword, but Merlin closed a hand on his wrist.  
"Don't… they won't hurt us…"  
Arthur notice he faces inside the bigger droplets of water, and the area hey were sat in was bathed in a pale blue light.  
"What are they?"  
"The guardians of the brook and streams…"  
"…Vilia." Arthur had heard the name before, but had never thought to meet the creatures… spirits.  
Merlin had held a hand out and one of the droplets floated into his open palm.  
"Emrys… It has been a long time… We are sorry for the death of your friend… he was of noble heart and mind…"  
"Yeah… he was…" Merlin replied,  
"Which friend?" Arthur asked, and several of the droplets floated over to him, dancing around his head.  
"Arthur Pendragon… the once and future king… We had hoped that Emrys would succeed… but it was only a hope…"  
"Hope can be the strongest weapon of all…" Arthur replied, unsure as to what they were talking about, and the small glade was filled with a whispery, tingling laughter. Merlin and Arthur smiled at the sound, and the Vilia spoke again.  
"You truly are wise Arthur… You are worthy of being he once and future king… and of having the protection of Emrys… the friendship of Merlin…"  
"Wise?" Merlin and Arthur spoke at the same time, and Arthur glared as Merlin grinned.  
"Yes…" the voices were even wispier now, and the droplets were fading. "It has been good to see you again Emrys… And an honour to help you lighten the burden you bear… The druids are peaceful… are our brothers and sisters… You must protect them Emrys…"  
"I will…"

The music and the light faded and the water droplets returned to a, now still, stream. They were both silent for a few seconds, then Arthur spoke.  
"You have some strange friends…"  
"Yeah… I know. The strangest is sat next to me…"  
"Now that's just mean…" Arthur looked at Merlin's expression and saw that it had lightened considerably. "You came to find them?"  
"No… I came looking for peace… and they found me…"  
"Good thing that they did… save me the job of trying to make you feel better. You know I suck at that…"  
Merlin grinned.  
"You came to try and cheer me up?"  
"Well… I came to see if you were okay… or rather, not okay, but if you wanted company… because it can help to… well… help to…"  
"Thanks." Merlin butted in, putting an end to Arthurs babbling, and the pair grinned. Then Arthurs grin fell, replaced by a concerned expression.  
"So… are you okay?"  
"Not really… But I'm better… I'll be fine when we catch the ones who did this…"  
"Me too…" Then Arthur decided to change the subject. "Anyway, I guess you'll never really need the company? I mean, you seem to be able to conjure up creatures to talk to any time you like…"  
"It is helpful… But it doesn't compare with human company," Merlin grinned, "And in respect to present company, it, most likely, never will…"  
"Was that a compliment?"  
"Maybe… But don't let it go to your head… You're still a Clot-Pole…"  
Arthur's reply was cut short by a whispering voice that surrounded them.  
"Emrys… you must go… for our brothers in the forest tell us of a group of men… with violence and hatred and ill intent within their hearts… that head for your friends… You must go… You must help them…"  
The pair wasted no time and were running flat out in seconds.


	4. Chapter 4

They reached the clearing just as a band of cloaked and masked men charged through the trees. Most of the druids were on their feet in an instant, but a young man, who had been injured, wasn't so quick. A sword descended towards him, but Merlin lashed out with Magic, sending the man flying. The druid looked at him gratefully, and Merlin nodded, before repeating the action several times more. Tristan and Bedivere were surrounded by Men, and Arthur was fighting four of the men. Dodging the blasts of magic, Arthur was thankful that he had trained a few times against Merlin, but resolved to do more of it. He was suddenly hit squarely in the chest by a bolt of energy, and few back twenty feet. Landing in the ground, he looked dup in time to see his attackers blasted into the trees by Merlin. His manservants face was masked by an expression of hatred and determination that he had only ever seen once before, when Morgana had attacked. He ducked a blade that came swinging from his left, and slashed at the wielder, rewarded by the man collapsing to the floor.

Merlin realised that Arthur could handle himself, and ran towards Archie and three other druids. Their powers were not for attacking, and they were having trouble holding the twelve men around them at bay. Suddenly, Merlin's eye caught a flash of silver and red in the group, and one of the druids fell. Rage filled him, and Merlin felt the core of his power pushing to be unleashed. He let it go. The result was chaos.

The men around the druids went flying into the centre of the clearing, and knocked over several of their comrades. The fire spilled over and set light to all of the dried leaves and bracken on the floor. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the clearing in a bright light. The attackers who were engaging Tristan and Bedivere turned to gasp at the sight, and Merlin lashed out, sending them hurtling toward the trees. They collapsed, piled in a heap, but Merlin was already dealing with another group. Kaden was holding his own, but was relieved, though startled, when his attackers went flying into the centre of the clearing. The piles of men grew as Merlin sent wave after wave of magic hurtling towards them. Within moments, all of the attacking men were beaten, and Merlin was getting shocked stares from everyone still standing.

The fire was still spreading, but, with the last dregs of his full power, Merlin caused a light drizzle to douse the flames. Once the flames were out, Merlin released the excess energy inside him and took a deep breath. Turning, he saw awestruck faces on the druids, which matched the expressions he was getting from Arthur, Tristan and Bedivere. Bedivere whistled softly, looking at the carnage,

"Remind me never to piss him off…" he said, softly, then grinned. The others soon followed suit, and Merlin found himself enveloped in hugs. The druids held back, a sense of decorum and respect holding them in their place, but Archie had no qualms about hugging him.  
Arthur grasped Merlin's shoulder, shaking it slightly,  
"I don't like being made redundant…" he said, but the smile on his face weakened the serious tone in his voice, and Merlin grinned.  
"Erm… Oops?" His grin faded at the sight of the downed man, and his eyes widened slightly. "I did that…?"  
"And saved our asses," Bedivere continued for him, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

Merlin couldn't help but feel relieved when he found that most of the men were just unconscious. He wasn't a killer…

It took nearly half an hour to bind the men, with vines that Merlin had dragged from the trees. Whilst the others had been trussing their attacker up, Merlin had been working on the druid who had been stabbed. Luckily, no-one else had been seriously hurt, but it took all of Merlin's ability to heal the wound in the young man's chest. He had managed it, however, and the wound was now barely more than a scratch. The druid's gratitude had been too much for Merlin, and he had night on had to order the man to stop thanking him. The druid, whose name was Baylin, had finally got the idea and had shut up, heading off to help his comrades. Merlin had sat down, intending to get a few moments rest, but found himself nodding off to sleep.

Arthur looked over to Merlin, and realised that he was asleep. Remembering that Merlin was meant to be resting anyway, he had started to worry. Using magic like that couldn't be helping him to heal properly from the after effects of his wound… and Arthur had noticed that he had been suffering slightly, though he had tried to hide it. Resolving to let him sleep, Arthur and the others finished tying up the men just as the sky began to lighten.  
"Right…" Everyone turned to Arthur, who stifled a yawn. "It's been a long night, and I'm pretty sure that we won't be attacked again. We all need sleep, so I say we get a few hours in before morning properly hits us."  
"Your majesty…?" It was the druid that Merlin had healed, and he looked rather scared, If Arthur admitted it, to be addressing him.  
"Yes?"  
"Emrys… Merlin… He said I shouldn't sleep for a few hours… I could keep watch…"  
Arthur nodded.  
"Okay. If that is okay with you then it's a good plan."  
"It's fine Your majesty… I'm really not all that tired…"

Merlin woke up to bright sunlight on his face. Looking up, he realised it must be nearly noon and roused himself. Looking around, he saw everyone asleep, aside for Baylin, who was focused intently on a small flower in front of him.  
Getting silently to his feet, Merlin made his way over, and realised that the Druid was making the plant grow. The small bud was opening to reveal a bright purple flower, and Merlin spoke up.  
"It's beautiful…"  
The druid started, but smiled.  
"It's really just practice Emrys… Shaping something as it grows to encompass your ideas…"  
"I've heard of that… never attempted it… And please, call me Merlin."  
The druid smiled and gestured towards to another small weed on the ground, then shrugged.  
"The incantation is 'bláth ag fas bi mo mian'"

Merlin knelt down and watched what the druid did then, when he thought he had the hang of it, he muttered the spell, and felt something from the plant. Like some kind of connection. An idea came into his head, and he felt the plant follow his will. He didn't realise that the druid had stopped what he was doing, and was looking at him, awestruck, instead Merlin was focused on his project. He also failed to notice the steadily growing group of people around him, including Arthur, Bedivere and Archie, and didn't hear an astounded Baylin say that it took many years to master what Merlin was currently doing…

Time stood still for Merlin, as he was sharing his mind with the nature of the plant, and he eventually realised he was satisfied with his work. He felt like he was pulling out of a strange dream, and opened his eyes to find a crowd of faces peering at him… no, not at him, at the plant at his feet.

Looking down, Merlin saw, for the fir time, his creation. The flower was blood red, its tips lighter than the centre of the petals, and the velvety petals were shot through with streaks of gold. The leaves, themselves, were a deep auburn, giving the flower depth and a sense of magic about it.  
"Impossible…" he heard one of the druids whisper, and Merlin looked up.  
"What's impossible?" Merlin asked.  
"The skill takes years to master… and to match your ability, even the greatest of our masters find difficult to do…"  
"Oh… Well… This was just instinctive I guess…"

Sensing Merlin's awkward state, Arthur interceded.  
"Yes, that's all very nice, but we had better be moving if we have any chance of reaching the druids by Nightfall."  
Merlin shot him a grateful look and got to his feet, leaving the druids to gawk at the flower.  
Soon after, Merlin, Kaden, Bedivere and Arthur were riding towards the druids.  
Tristan was to lead the druids back to Camelot, and inform Leon and the others of what had happened. If Arthur and the others hadn't returned three days after that, then they were to send out search parties. They had decided to leave their attackers tied up, and to send man back for them from Camelot. If they had escaped, well, they couldn't help that.  
It was a good plan all round, and Merlin couldn't wait to get away from the gazes that followed him around, though he pitied Tristan having to try and tear them away from the damn flower. Kaden and Bedivere were acting as scouts in front and to the sides of Merlin and Arthur, and were trying to pick up any traces of the Brotherhood or their men, though so far they had not succeeded. Arthur turned to look at Merlin, a frown on his face.  
"Merlin? I just thought of what that flower reminded me of. The crest of Camelot. The red background and the gold dragon…?" Merlin grinned.  
"That's what I was thinking of. I shouldn't have bothered though. It caused te druids to admire me even more…"  
"And only you can think of that as a bad thing…"  
"It is a bad thing. I don't want to be seen as some… some…"  
"Hero?"  
"Well, yes…"  
"Well, I'm sorry to say it Merlin, but I don't think you have a choice. You are a hero to them. You got them their freedom… gave them hope… Heck, you've saved me and Camelot more times than I care to remember. Of course they see you as a hero. And they have every right to."  
"But that isn't me…" Merlin glared at the exasperated look on Arthurs face as he replied.  
"For such a smart and powerful person, you really can be an idiot at times Merlin… "  
"You think I'm smart…?"  
"Well… Look, that's beside the point. What matters is that you stop thinking of yourself as some servant from Camelot."  
"But I am a servant from…"  
"But you are a damn sight more than that and you know it. You are the most powerful sorcerer in the history of forever, you are the smartest and bravest guy I know, and you're a damn good friend to boot. Damn it Merlin."  
"Wow… Was that a compliment?"  
"A string of them actually… but don't let them go to your head…"  
"But Arthur… I don't know how to be… that person."  
"Well… you kind of already are…"  
"… Oh…" Merlin thought about that and his eyes widened. "I'd never thought about it like that before…" He yelped as a fist caught him in the shoulder. "What was that for?"  
"Being an idiot… and making me sound like a moon addled idiot…"  
"…Fair enough."

Merlin had cheered up considerably after that, and had shown it by amusing the other three by making leaves swirl and dance around them. And so the day past on into late afternoon. The sun had just started to dip beyond the edge of the forest when they arrived at the druid camp, and night had fallen by the time explanations had been exchanged.  
A large group had gathered around to hear, and Merlin was told that many of them were from the other settlement, the women and children that had managed to escape. However, here were still some left unaccounted for.  
They were left in peace to eat a stew that the druids had provided, but they said little, wrapped up in their own thoughts. Eventually, silence filled the cave as the day came to a close. The others slept, but Merlin found that it was too stuffy for him. Getting softly to his feet, he made his way outside and shuffled leaves and plants around to make a soft area on the ground. Lying down, he stared up at the stars and sighed. This was going to be a tough one. He eventually let sleep cover him and was soon dead to the world.


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur woke to the bustle of midmorning. Several druids were up and about, but the vast majority were no-where to be seen. Neither, he realised was Merlin.  
"Merlin!" he sat up in a flurry of red fabric, and was greeted by the face of a young druid boy.  
"Emrys is sleeping… Your friends are eating at the fire…"  
"Ah… Thank you…"  
The boy scampered away and Arthur made his way over to the others.  
"G'morning Sire," Bedivere said, a bowl of warm gruel in his hands.  
"What time is it?" Arthur asked, accepting a bowl from a druid woman and seating himself between Kaden and Bedivere.  
"Mid-morning… Sorry for not waking you Sire, but we thought you may need sleep. We ourselves only woke up half an hour ago…"  
"And Merlin?"  
"He slept outside last night. He's still sleeping."  
"Outside? Merlin hates the forest…"  
"No… He loves being in the forest… and being outside…" This was Kaden, whose face immediately fell as he realised how blunt he had been with the king. "I mean… I don't want to… to"  
"No, no. It's fine. What makes you say that? He has always seemed to hate it…"  
"Because whenever he is in the woods with you or the knights, it is always in a rush, or there is danger or hunting… He likes the peace and quiet when he is alone… or with a few people…"  
"Ah…" Well, he had only just woken up, and, already, he had learned something.

As Arthur was eating, the old druid, Aglain, came over and seated himself opposite them.  
"Arthur Pendragon… It is a pleasure to see you again… though it is our wish that the circumstances would be slightly less unpleasant."  
"That is our wish. Do you have any information on the people who attacked the settlement?"  
"We have but a little, though we believe it may be of importance… Though should we not wait until Emrys has joined us?"  
"Of course, I…"  
"No need. I'm here." Merlin's hair was tousled, his clothes were covered in bits of bracken and you could easily tell he had spent a night outside, but Arthur hadn't seen him look that rested in some time.  
"Sorry. I guess I didn't realise how tired I was…"  
"No Problem. I only just woke up myself," Arthur assured him, and moved aside to let Merlin sit down.  
"Emrys. I trust you are rested?" Aglain looked happy to see he sorcerer, and Arthur could imaging why.  
"Very much so Aglain, thank you. I haven't had a night that peaceful in quite a while."  
"Well, the area around us seems to have imbued the forest with a magic of its own. That is, a magic more potent than can be expected from the earth. Speaking of Earth, I have heard what you did with the flower… Most impressive. And you have the gratitude of the rest of us for your help in protecting out people."  
Merlin looked uncomfortable at the thanks, and shrugged.  
"Well, I could do more if we knew more about who we are dealing with…"  
"Indeed. Since your last visit, we have spent a great portion of our time in studying the Brotherhood of the High Priestess, and we believe we have information that may be useful to you."  
Merlin settled back, accepting a steaming bowl from Kaden, and gestured for Aglain to continue. His words soon had Merlin ignoring the food.  
"First of all, we know that the Brotherhood is made up of Druids who have fallen from our path and have followed the belief that Morgana was the saviour of our people." The druid paused and glanced expressionlessly, at Bedivere and Arthur, who had failed to hide snorts.  
"Sorry," Arthur said, wiping his face clean, "Please, continue."  
"Yes, the idea is absurd, but they seem to believe that Morgana would have created a better world for our kind. That we would be completely free from persecution, and that the people who have long since feared and despised us, namely those without magic, would be shown what it is like to live as we have had to. Many of our people dismissed the beliefs, and some turned from the brotherhood after Emrys, or rather, Merlin, helped us gain our freedom. Many of their number, however, stuck to the belief that by destroying Morgana, Merlin doomed us all to a life the same as before. This is why they started to attack. They attacked Camelot first, as they believed that, by killing either you, Merlin, or you, Arthur, that the whole system would fall apart. After realising that it would be more difficult for them to take this route, they decided to start attacking our people, in order to try and make Merlin more distracted."  
"So they are doing it to get to me then?" Merlin's voice held an undercurrent of anger, but also guilt, which the old druid obviously picked up on.  
"Yes Emrys, but it is, by no means, your fault. These people have been drawn off of the path they have lived on for their entire lives, and are lashing out, perhaps in confusion and fear more than hate, in an attempt to return to what they know. To create reason for Arthur to attack them, thus claiming that they were right about Magic not being able to exist in Camelot. They also know that you, Merlin would stand by Arthur, thereby marking you out to be a traitor o your own kind. Making it appear that you have abandoned us. We know this isn't true, but there are many different magic users who are still worried about the outcome of the changes in Camelot, and, I given doubt, they may turn against you. Making it harder to maintain order. Hence them trying to bring Uther back. If Arthur was to act like his father, their job would be made much easier."  
"But that magic was powerful," Merlin butted in, his foo abandoned beside him. "Extremely powerful. Who could use a curse like that?"  
"Like the power of seven, the power of three also magnifies the effect of magic. But even so, very few people would have been able to cast such a spell. From what we have been able to discover, the sorcerers Tarvin and Thorne are amongst the Brotherhoods number, as is the witch, Hana. Those three together is a terrifying thought Emrys. They were trained, in part, by Morgana herself, and were well known for being very volatile in nature."  
"And their leader? Something seemed strange about him…"  
"We have been unable to gather any information on the man leading them, Emrys, Only that he was very close to Morgana… And may have had links to Cenred…"  
"And Morgause… And Nimueh?"  
"That is to be assumed, yes."  
"Morgause?" Arthur looked confused? "And Nimueh? What would they have to do with this? They have both been dead for years…"  
"But they were the High Priestesses' of the Old Religion before they fell…" Merlin explained, then frowned. "But how I that possible? Morgause was the one who worked for Cenred. We would have heard of another sorcerer…"  
"Not if he was the one working behind the scenes… I'm sorry Emrys, we know nothing about him. We will, of course, keep trying to find out… We have several of our people within the Brotherhood's midst."  
"And how on earth did you manage that?"  
"Some of our people deliberately displayed the characteristics of those accepted into the Brotherhood. One has managed to attain a high rank within their order. Which brings me to another thing. We believe we know what their objective is. Seeing as Morgana had no direct Bloodline, they have sought out the nearest thing to Kin that she has. A young woman. Morgana grew fond of her, though she was not powerful enough to be trained. However, Morgana invested a lot of magic in the girls development. Their intent, we believe, is to make her into the next High Priestess."  
"But that's not possible…"  
"They have found a way. The High Priestess was the one with the most power… the most presence. They believe that by transferring the power from the most powerful magical being, they can make the girl into Morgana's image. The child is all for their cause, and is, in fact, not really a child. Morgana's spells matured her more than is natural. She is now with the physical appearance of over twenty, whilst her mind is that of a fifteen year old."  
They all thought over this,  
"And they believe that this will enable them to take Camelot? To create a 'perfect world' for them?" Arthurs expression was one of disbelief, "It's inhumane… How could you do that for a cause that is as misguided as it is doomed?"  
"But they believe it is possible. Probable even. And that is their excuse for the things they have down."  
"But how can they give someone's power to another? The subject would have to be willing…"  
"There I a creature… One we long thought destroyed. It takes the magic from someone, willing or otherwise. The energy can then be garnered and transferred into someone else."  
"But if she is as young in mind as you say, surely the power they intend to transfer could kill her?"  
"We don't not know Emrys. We know only of their goals. And their target."  
Merlin thought it over, most powerful magical being? His heartbeat increased as he realised what that meant.  
"Me… They need my magic…"  
"Yes Emrys. They believe that there is an irony to using you to bring about their idea of a perfect world. Bu that does not mean they have stopped their plans… Even now, they plan to attack another of our settlements. To the North. We have but a few days to prepare."  
"Then you must move closer to Camelot." Arthur's voice was clear, and betrayed none of the turmoil he felt at knowing that Merlin was the main focus of some of the most powerful sorcerers in the land. "We can establish temporary living space for your people… close to the walls of Camelot themselves, or within the catacombs beneath the city. Your people would be as safe as any citizen of Camelot."  
Aglain had frozen at the proposal, but his face now split into a smile.  
"That truly is a generous offer, Arthur Pendragon, but the people of Camelot themselves may not feel as you do…"  
"Sure they will. They have followed me before, and I'm sure your people will not cause trouble…"  
"I will have to discuss this with the other leaders… But I appreciate your offer…"  
"Take the time you need. We can wait…"  
Aglain nodded and stood up, making his way through a tunnel at the back of the cave. Arthur turned to Merlin, ready to ask his opinion, but stopped at the expression on his face. Anger seemed to be mixed with frustration, disbelief and… fear?  
"Merlin…?" As he looked up, Kaden and Bedivere go to their feet.  
"We are going to see to the horses sire…" Arthur knew that wasn't what they were doing, but nodded, knowing they were giving them space.  
"Merlin… You know we can stop them…"  
"Arthur. They are attacking the Druids to get to me. Me. All of this is to get me. And I hate it."  
Arthur wasn't sure how to respond to that, so settled for silence. After a few minutes, Merlin spoke again.  
"That girl… What they have done… Magic should never be used like that… Never… It's just…"  
"I know…"  
"Maybe your father was right about some things. Magic can be evil… can do more evil than any normal human anyway…"  
"But it can do better than many normal people too. You are a clear example of that. You beat Morgana. You can beat them too…"  
"Maybe… But Arthur, if my magic is put into someone else, I just know that they won't survive it. It isn't magic in the normal sense… It's not something that needs spells and incantations. It's instinctual. And by all counts impossible. But here I am…"  
"And they won't get a chance to do that. We'll stop them." Now Arthur knew where the fear came from. Not for himself, but for the girl he had never met. The idiot was going to get himself killed.  
"Merlin. They won't get the chance. You think I'm letting them get you? A good servant is really hard to find…"  
Merlin grinned.  
"Another compliment? Wow, you feeling okay…?" He ducked a half-hearted cuff across the head and spotted a young druid woman at the far side of the cave. "Excuse me, Arthur. I have a favour to be getting on with…"  
Arthur spotted Bedivere watching Merlin and smiled. He had thought as much…

**So… Quite a dull chapter, But I wanted to get all of the info and dull shizzle out of the way before the real action and important stuff begins, in the next couple of chapters and the next fanfic.**


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin crouched down in front of the Druid woman and helped her pick up the herbs that surrounded her feet.  
"Thankyou, I…" she looked up and realised who he was, her face turning to an expression of respect, if not a little embarrassment. "Emrys, there is no need. I can manage…"  
"Dawn, Right? You name?"  
"I… Yes… But why?"  
"My friend over there, Sir Bedivere, seems very taken with you. It could not hurt to talk… I know you had a happy conversation last time he was here…"  
"I… Emrys I…"  
"Please, It's Merlin…"  
"Merlin… He is a good man. That I can see. Pure of heart, brave, loyal…"  
"Yet you avoid him?"  
"There are a lot of… differences between us."  
"That should not stop you. Believe me, I've heard… well, seen stranger… Arthur was royalty, and Queen Guinevere? She was a servant." He paused, before continuing. "I do not intend to make you uncomfortable, but I can see that your avoidance of him causes him pain. As his friend, I could not let it continue without trying to talk to you."  
Dawn looked at him, a mixture of emotions on her face, and nodded at him.  
"Emrys." She said, respectfully, before turning and heading off towards the back of the cave.  
Merlin did not complain about the use of the name. Something in her gaze had stopped him. Instead, he let it go, and head over to Arthur, who had joined Bedivere and Kaden.

At the hopeful expression on Bedivere's face, Merlin looked at him, helplessly, and shrugged. His friends face fell, and Merlin felt guilty, though he knew it wasn't his fault. Turning to Arthur, he told him of what had occurred to him a few moments before.  
"Arthur… The Knights on patrol on the Northern Border of Camelot… They are long overdue a switchover. They have been out there for nigh on a month now. That's two weeks longer than an average patrol. If the druids decide to accept your offer, then it would be a decent time to have a switchover take place." Bedivere interrupted, agreeing with Merlin.  
"The post is less than a day's ride from here. An update couldn't hurt. We haven't received a report in several days… And if you keep Peredur out there any longer, he will be worse than Gwaine when he gets back…"  
Merlin grinned at this. After the young Knights actions in the battle against Morgana, Arthur had placed him in command of the small patrol group, eight strong, who were on rotation to patrol the Borders at the North of Camelot. He had been eager for the job, but he was bored easily, and they were going to hear hell about it when he got back… His musings were cut short by Arthur's voice.  
"That's a good point. A report is overdue. If we left now, we could reach the outpost before nightfall. Then return in the morning… It would give the druid people time to think over my offer of protection…"  
"All the same, I think that someone should stay here. " Merlin said, the shrugged at the questioning look, saying "We need someone to gather the details on the Brotherhood. Anything and everything. And to keep updated on the Druids progress. If one of us knows, it would take less time to explain." Kaden interrupted at this.  
"I could stay. If anything truly important happens, I could telepathically link with you. I'm not strong enough to cover such a distance for a great deal of time, but a few seconds should be all I'll need."  
Merlin looked at Arthur, who nodded, slowly.  
"It's a good plan. All the same, I think that we need someone here to represent Camelot. It may help them realise how serious we are about the proposal. Bedivere?"  
"I can stay Sire. It's not a problem. As Kay said, he can alert you about anything of importance. And I get the feeling that Peredur will be keen on Seeing Merlin again."  
Kaden had raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but his face had split into a small smile. A nickname was considered a sign of acceptance amongst the Knights of Camelot. Arthur grinned at Bedivere's last words, then turned to see Merlin looking rather eager too. Since the battle, and in the week before Peredur had left, the two had become firm friends, and he knew Merlin would be looking forward to seeing him.  
"So… It's settled?" He made it a question, and they three met him with nods. Then Merlin grinned.  
"Arthur? You deal with the horses. I'll inform Aglain."  
Arthur turned to him, incredulous.  
"Did you just give me an order?"  
"No Sire," His manservant replied, hiding his grin behind a mock-outraged face. "Why would I ever do such a thing? We all know that it's you who gives the orders around here."  
"… Good."  
"Now go and see to the horses." Before Arthur could react, Merlin had left, leaving Bedivere and Kaden hiding smirks at the indignant expression on Arthur, who was trying to hide his own smile.

Aglain had had no problem with their plan, and Arthur and Merlin had been on their way before the hour was out. Now, they had been riding for almost three hours. With about two hours still ahead of them, Arthur called for a rest, and Merlin was too tired to say no. Taking a drink from a water skin, Merlin allowed himself to relax for a moment, releasing the power he kept pent up inside him, and letting it soothe all of his ache and pains. Though he would never admit it, his recent wounds had taken a bigger toll on him that Gaius had realised. Coupled with the task of keeping the core of his power reined in, as Gaius was unsure of what it could do if truly let loose, it eventually added up. Flexing his muscles, Merlin opened his eyes and noticed Arthur looking at him, a concerned expression on his face.  
"Merlin? You okay?"  
"Yeah, course… I'm me…" Merlin pasted a wide, innocent grin on his face, and Arthur rolled his eyes.  
"And don't we all know it… Ready to move on?"  
"Yup…" Merlin got to his feet, and mounted his horse, ignoring the expression that Arthur was giving him. He didn't need another lecture on what was good for him. He got enough of those from Gaius. They rode in a companionable silence for some time, before Arthur spoke up.  
"Merlin? I've been thinking. The Knights need more training when it comes to Magic. Heck, so do I. They would have wiped the floor with us if you hadn't been there."  
Merlin nodded, thinking it through.  
"You're right. But we may not have a lot of time…"  
"We can get started. But how exactly do we do that? I mean, we've practised dodging magic, but there isn't really much else… Is there?"  
"Not really… But Maybe… I don't know. Let me think about it."  
"Don't think too hard. You've hurt yourself quite a lot lately as it is…"  
"Hey…!"

Their arrival at the outpost was greeted with hearty hugs and slaps on the back. The hug that Peredur had pulled Merlin into had had him struggling to breath, and He had had to join in the laughter as he saw how red his face was.  
After Arthur had related everything that had happened, Peredur informed him that Sir Erec and Sir Owain had left two days ago with a report to Camelot. They must have missed them by about a day.  
Night fell quickly over the outpost, and, as Arthur a down for the night, he couldn't help but notice that Merlin really looked tired. He hadn't noticed it before, but the wounds he had sustained recently must have been taking more out of him that he had been saying. Resolving to tell Gaius, and keep an eye on his friend, Arthur rolled over. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard stirring to his right, and saw Merlin getting to his feet. Leaving him a few seconds to get out of sight, Arthur rolled to his feet and followed. He had only to turn a corner to see Merlin sat on a small rock, his head resting against a tree.  
"And what exactly are you doing out here?"  
Merlin started, then threw him a sheepish grin.  
"Tired but can't sleep. Ironic right?"  
"Yup… But you really do look like you need a good night's rest. Seriously…"  
"I slept well last night…"  
"And have been getting worse all day." A suspicion formed in Arthurs head. "Merlin… How many different tonics and things have you been taking lately?"  
At the young man's silence, Arthur had to pull back from cuffing him around the head.  
"Merlin you idiot. How are you supposed to get any way better when you won't even let yourself heal?"  
"Is that concern Arthur?"  
"Damn right. Does Gaius know?"  
"… No. But I think he suspects…"  
"Well he'll know for sure soon."  
"Arthur, you can't let him know. He'd never let me out of his sight…"  
"Maybe that's a good thing. When we get back to Camelot, you are taking a day or two off. And you will not be leaving your room."  
"Seriously? You are confining me to my room? I'm not a child…"  
"Well you act like one sometimes…" Arthur muttered,  
"What was that Sire?"  
"Nothing at all. Now are you coming back inside? Or do I have to stay out here?"  
"Sire?"  
"Where the hell are you sleeping? Because I'm going to make sure you do."  
"Wow, I don't believe I have ever seen such an outward display of concern for my wellbeing from you in… well, ever…"  
"Merlin!"  
"Fine. I'll come inside… Jeez."

As Merlin lay down again he felt himself smiling. He had some pretty damn good friends… even if they could be… be… stone-brains sometimes. As he felt himself falling to sleep, he couldn't drop the smile. Stone brains. Now that was new…

When Merlin woke in the morning, it was to an empty room. Yawning, he cleared his head and stepped outside. Right into mid-morning sunlight.  
"Bout time you got up Merlin, we were ready to ride over an hour ago." Arthur was sat by the saddled horses, and the other knights were sat some distance away.  
"You should have woken me…"  
"Nah, you needed to sleep. Anyway, we've been discussing who should stay until we can get a new patrol out here.  
"Well? Have you decided?"  
"Sir Cador , Sir Breuner and Sir Daniel have decided to stay. We should be able to get a new group out here within a couple of days and they should be okay till then. As it is, I want to get back to Camelot. See what mess Gwaine's made of your whole 'Birthday celebration' thing."  
Merlin groaned,  
"He wouldn't do that… Right?"  
"Come on Merlin, you know him as well as I do…"  
"I swear… I'm going to… turn him into a toad… or turn anything he drinks to water… or something…"  
"The water ideas quite good…" Peredur said, grinning as he walked over, "But being a toad may improve his looks…"  
Arthur nodded, keeping his face serious,  
"Indeed. It may be in the best interests of the kingdom to have Gwaine unable to get himself to the Tavern…"  
Merlin shook his head, grinning at the thought of Gwaine being a toad, and moved around Arthur.  
"So… Are we going or not?"


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur was grinning as he overheard Merlin telling Peredur of some of the things Archie had been up to. The living suit of Armour for one. But the fact that Gwaine and the cook had been the brunt of most of the kid's pranks had Peredur nearly crying with laughter. The other Knights were smiling too, and Arthur felt his grin widen at the expressions on some of their faces.  
The druid camp came within sight, and Arthur rode up to Bedivere, who was watering the horses.  
"Sire! It's good to see you back. The druid elders have come to a decision, regarding your offer."  
"Did they accept?"  
"I'll leave that for Aglain to tell you Sire."  
Merlin joined him as they went to find Aglain, leaving Peredur to greet his friends. Merlin spotted Kaden, and made a sight detour.  
"You read to head back to Camelot? We are probably going to set out tomorrow morning…"  
"I'm good to go. Though we may have quite a few more travelling companions…"  
"They accepted?"  
"After a fashion… I'll let Aglain tell you. He's over there." Kaden gestured and Merlin saw Arthur greeting the old druid.  
"Cheers Kay…"

Merlin head over, and saw that Arthur was in a thinking state.  
"Aglain?"  
"Merlin… The druid elders have agreed to send our people to Camelot… But there are some who choose to stay. If that is the case, then the attacks by the Brotherhood will likely see them hurt or killed."  
Arthur spoke up.  
"I don't like the thought of trying to force them. But if we could talk to them? Change their minds?"  
"Their minds are made up. My people are divided on this."  
"Then let me talk to them." Merlin shrugged, "If they will listen to anyone, it would be me. "  
Aglain considered this.  
"That is a good point. We have planned to have the different settlements congregate here in one week's time. If you could be here then…  
"That shouldn't be a problem. I would still have two or three days in Camelot before having to return. And considering I have those days off…"  
Merlin grinned at Arthur, who raised his eyebrows.  
"Oh, you think?"  
"Well… I could work, but I may easily get run down…"  
"Fine. Have your days off. But your list of jobs will just keep piling up…"  
Again interrupted the banter with a small cough.  
"If I may, You could easily speak from Camelot. Even if you had not he strength to speak into their minds, we could set up a channelling of energy to keep a shade up for a few moments… Maybe half an hour…"  
"That would likely be the best idea…" Merlin nodded. "I can do that. I will try a telepathic link, but it may be weak, seeing a there would be so many people…"  
"Then channelling our energy it shall be."

After sorting out details, and deciding that it would be best for Kaden to stay and be a source of information, being able to link with Merlin, the small group settled for the night. For the first time, Merlin found he could sleep uninterrupted, and Arthur, too was surprised that the young man was asleep before he had even lay down. None-the-less, it was not long until silence fell over the camp.

Having decided to set out whilst it was still dark, hoping to reach Camelot without having to stop for the next night, Merlin found himself being shaken awake. Yawning, he got to his feet, and realised that it must be just past midnight. Stifling another yawn, he helped finish saddling the horses, a flick of his wrist completing the job in mere seconds, much to the gratitude of his companions, and clambered up onto his. The quick farewells were soon taken care of, though Merlin was pleased to see Bedivere kiss Dawn lightly on her hand, before mounting his own ride. Maybe some good would come from this after all.  
Merlin suddenly found himself wide awake, and, as they set off, muttered a quick spell, sending a blue orb ahead of them. With the light, the riders had no trouble picking up their pace to a quick canter.

They stopped twice throughout the day, but only for a short period of time. It was thanks to this that Camelot came into sight just as the light was fading for the day. They crossed the drawbridge into the citadel almost two hours after darkness had fallen, and all were tired. None-the-less, they were cheered by the thought that their ride had got them back in really good time. They had just dismounted when Gwaine ran down the steps. Speaking first so Arthur, in hushed tones, then to the other Knights, who all had grins when he had finished speaking with them, Gwaine left Merlin completely bemused as the Knight grabbed his shoulder and propelled him inside. At his questioning look, Arthur just shrugged, grinning.  
Merlin was completely confused by the way the others were acting, and Gwaine was giving nothing away. It was only a they reached the doors that Merlin realised they were going to the huge hall.  
"Gwaine? What, in the name of Camelot, Are you…"  
Merlin didn't get a chance to finish as the doors swung open and a huge roar erupted.  
He jumped back, piling into Gwaine and Peredur and sending them all tumbling to the floor. The action was followed with laughter and, as Merlin got to his feet, he took in the scene. The entire hall was decked with wild plants, and gave the very feel of being in a forest. He was just marvelling at this when Gwen came over and hugged him.  
"Happy Birthday Merlin!"  
"Wait… What?"  
"You didn't think we'd leave it to Gwaine this year did you?"  
"But… What?"  
Arthur was as impressed by the decoration as Merlin was, but still cuffed him round the back of the head.  
"Ah well, you can turn Gwaine into a toad next year…"

They were all swept into a whirl of talking, eating, drinking and dancing. Merlin slowly let it sink in that this was for him, and made his way over to Gwaine, who was, clearly, drunk.  
"Was this your idea?"  
"Well… yeah… But Gwen helped with most… nope, all of it… Merlin, are you aware that there are two of you?"  
"Gwaine? How much have you had to drink?"  
Percival came up behind them, and patted Merlin on the back.  
"More than usual… Anyway, Happy Birthday Merlin."  
"Cheers Perc. Hang on just a sec."  
Merlin muttered a long sentence, and was rewarded by Gwaine's drink turning clear. He didn't notice and raised his cup to take a swig. He immediately spat it out, and grimaced at the cup.  
"What…? Merlin? Was that you?"  
"Was what me?"  
"Its water…?"  
"Oh that. Yeah, that was me."  
"Why you little…" Gwaine reached for him, but Merlin ducked behind Percival, who was laughing. Leon and Peredur came over to see what the commotion was about, and Percival told them, whilst playing his part as a human shield. The pair burst out laughing, and slowly the story spread, so that Gwaine's attempt to catch Merlin became centre stage. It was, of course, at that moment, that Percival decided to step out of the way, and Merlin had to leap over a table to avoid Gwaine. He muttered a quick spell, and started exclamations filled the hall as Merlin vanished. Trying to stifle his laughter at the confused expression on Gwaine's face, he made his way over to the table and grabbed a pitcher of water. To the credit of everyone, they didn't react at the sight of a floating pitcher, and instead hid their smiles. That is, until Merlin emptied the contents over Gwaine's head. Sputtering and indignant, Gwaine spun around as the hall erupted into laughter. Unable to see Merlin, who had placed the pitcher down on the table, he sank onto the bench. His words slurred.  
"I'll get you for this you… irritating… cheating… scrawny… irritating…" his head fell back, and he was snoring. Merlin muttered the counter spell, and became visible again, joining in the laughter. He felt a punch on the shoulder and turned to see Arthur, laughing as hard as anyone else.  
"You know Merlin…" he gasped, between hiccups, "I once said… I'd make you court jester… Now I'm seriously considering it…"  
Eventually the laughter died down and the party resumed. Merlin realised, however, that this moment would be talked about every time Gwaine was at a party or feast, He'd never live it down. After Alice and Gaius had wished him a happy birthday, and head off, Merlin sat, grinning idiotically at himself.  
"Don't expect this every year Merlin…" Arthur said, sitting down beside him. "After all, throwing feasts for servants is not something we would normally do…" He grinned and leant back, "Then again, with entertainment like that, maybe we should keep it as a tradition…"  
Merlin grinned.  
"Yeah. Next year, Gwaine will be hopping around the floor ribbiting."  
"Really? We thought you were joking about the toad?"  
"Nope. But maybe we can give Gwaine something to remember this night by… for a few days at least…"  
"What are you thinking?"  
"Maybe… a bright blue face?"  
Arthurs eyes widened at the thought.  
"Is that even possible?"  
"Sure…But maybe I shouldn't test it out… just yet anyway…."  
"Maybe that's a good idea. We'd never hear the end of it…"  
"Of course. It wasn't worry for Gwaine that had you ageing, but the thought that he might talk more. You're a great friend. You now that?"  
"Ah come on. It was the same reason you wouldn't have done it…"  
"… Okay, maybe a little. But that's beside the point…"  
Gwen came over, and Arthur got to his feet, putting his lips to her hand, and giving her a wink.  
"Would you accept my hand for a dance, fair maiden?"  
Gwen smiled.  
"Why, indeed I would good sir." She called back to Merlin as they head to the floor, where tables were being cleared away for dancing.  
"How do you like your birthday this year Merlin?"  
"What can I say? No Tavern, me able to actually get Gwaine back for the drinking, and a day off tomorrow instead of cleaning boots with tiny brushes…? What's not to love? Thanks Gwen."  
Gwen laughed, accepting his thanks, and vanished into the swirling couples who were dancing. Merlin looked around, taking in the fact that everything here was for him. And he smiled. He randomly pulled Sir Erec into an embrace as he walked past, laughing to himself, and Erec couldn't help joining in at his enthusiasm, though he had a slightly bemused look. After wishing him a happy birthday, Erec left, and Merlin found himself face to face with Taren.  
"Hey! How was your trip?"  
Since Magic had returned to Camelot, Merlin was unofficial liaison to the magical population, but he would never have been able to cope if it wasn't for the woman in front of him.  
"Great. Went fine. Any problems here?"  
"Nope…except that Holly had a problem with getting the ivy right."  
"You were responsible for this?" Merlin gestured around to the foliage that was covering the walls.  
"Me and several others from town. If truth be told, the Queen was more taken with it than Hazel… and you know what she's like…"  
"Well, at least I know what to do for her birthday now…" Merlin smiled and pulled Taren into a hug.  
"Thanks…"  
"No Problem. We all enjoyed it. Anyway, are you not going to dance?"  
"Er… No. I haven't danced since I was a child…"  
"Were you any good?"  
"Relatively…"  
"Good…" Taren grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the floor, just as the music changed to that of a speedy step. Merlin glared at her, but it turned to a grin as he span her around. He let himself fall into the dance patterns that his mother had taught him as a child, and grinned when he recalled how he had never been clumsy when dancing. Sure enough, as the dance got faster, many stepped out, but Merlin found that he and Taren had no problem keeping up  
"You're good" he complimented her, grinning,  
"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, returning the smile.

Arthur caught sight of Merlin dancing and was astounded that he could actually dance pretty damn well. Maybe he wasn't as clumsy as he made out. Gwen was staring too, obviously as surprised as Arthur. Merlin wasn't the kind of person she would associate with dancing.  
As the song came to an end, the hall was filled with clapping, and Arthur laughed at the embarrassed look on Merlin's face. The music started again, this time into a slow rhythm, but Arthur saw Merlin excuse himself, a strange look coming over his face. He watched as Taren followed him outside, and resolved to do the same once the song ended.

"Merlin?" Taren's concerned voice came up behind him, and she leant against the balcony as he was doing.  
"Sorry… It just… Brought memories back…"  
"Of Freya?"  
Most of the sorcerers in Camelot had a basic understanding of most of the things Merlin had done, but only Taren knew about Freya.  
"Yeah… It's strange. All this time, and I still miss her…"  
"It's not strange. Its love. And you shouldn't avoid thinking about it."  
"I know… It still hurts though… sometimes…"  
"Yeah…" she pulled him into a hug and grinned at him, eliciting a small smile in response. "But that isn't going to stop you from enjoying the first decent birthday celebration you have ever had."  
Merlin sighed, then shook his head ruefully, a smile forming on his face.  
"Then let's go. Maybe waking Gwaine up and seeing him trying to walk straight may cheer me up a bit."

When Merlin came back in, Arthur realised he was smiling, and grinned. Could there be something between Merlin and Taren? Then again… Merlin. As he spun Gwen around, he put it from his mind, as well as the achiness form his long ride. He could always stay in bed in the morning… It's not like Merlin would be getting up, seeing as he had a day off… and was now drinking with Gwaine who had seemed to have forgotten his earlier anger at Merlin… Arthur smiled at the knowledge that Merlin was going to have one hell of a headache the next morning…


End file.
